The Dinner Party, Joshua Ferris
The Dinner Party, Joshua Ferris
1 Rating(s)
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
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The Dinner Party
Stories

Author: Joshua Ferris

Narrator: Zach Roe, Chris Kayser, Nicholas Tecosky, Jennifer Riker

Unabridged: 7 hr 4 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 05/02/2017

Categories: Fiction, Short Stories


Synopsis

A New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year: The first collection of short stories from the critically acclaimed, prize-winning author of To Rise Again at a Decent Hour

These eleven stories by Joshua Ferris, many of which were first published in The New Yorker, are at once thrilling, strange, and comic. The modern tribulations of marriage, ambition, and the fear of missing out as the temptations flow like wine and the minutes of life tick down are explored with the characteristic wit and insight that have made Ferris one of our most critically acclaimed novelists.

Each of these stories burrows deep into the often awkward and hilarious misunderstandings that pass between strangers and lovers alike, and that turn ordinary lives upside down. Ferris shows to what lengths we mortals go to coax human meaning from our very modest time on earth, an effort that skews ever-more desperately in the direction of redemption.

There's Arty Groys, the Florida retiree whose birthday celebration involves pizza, a prostitute, and a life-saving heart attack. There's Sarah, the Brooklynite whose shape-shifting existential dilemma is set in motion by a simple spring breeze. And there's Jack, a man so warped by past experience that he's incapable of having a normal social interaction with the man he hires to help him move out of storage.

The stories in The Dinner Party are about lives changed forever when the reckless gives way to possibility and the ordinary cedes ground to mystery. And each one confirms Ferris's reputation as one of the most dazzlingly talented, deeply humane writers at work today.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jill on April 22, 2017

To quote another contemporary writer, T.C. Boyle: “A short story is like a toothache and you must drill it and fill it. A novel is more like bridgework.” Joshua Ferris is a master bridgework artisan. Since discovering Then We Came To The End more than a decade ago, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed To Rise Ag......more

Goodreads review by Bam cooks the books on May 24, 2017

Read for Short Story Month--May, 2017. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read an arc of this book for an honest review. These stories were my first taste of Joshua Ferris's writing so I cannot make a comparison to his full-length novels. However, these short stor......more

Goodreads review by Karan on May 12, 2017

Found these stories somewhat amateur with the characters wearing their desperation so obviously that if you missed it there's always an intruding narrator or some contrived observer-character lurking a line away to restate the bleeding obvious. Richard Yates has covered this ground so slickly- the q......more

Goodreads review by Nancy on May 25, 2017

I was in the car with my husband listening to NPR when we heard an interview with Joshua Ferris on his new book The Dinner Party and Other Stories. My husband is no fan of short stories but he said to me, "I'd read that book." I smirked because I knew I COULD read it. Being pre-approved by Little, B......more

Goodreads review by Leo on May 24, 2017

Evidently I'm in a weird mood this morning, explaining the below review. Just know that I almost ruptured my lingual artery forcing my tongue into my cheek that hard so I hope you enjoy the below and accept it in the heavily sarcastic spirit in which it was written :P (And J-Fez, if you chance upon......more


Quotes

Praise for Joshua Ferris's THE DINNER PARTY:

A New York Times Notable BookWashington Post Notable Fiction NPR's Best Books of 2017 The Guardian Best Books of 2017Esquire Best Books of the Year The Week Best Books of 2017

"A magnificent black carnival of discord and delusion....For some accomplished novelists--and Ferris is one of the best of our day--short stories are mere doodles, warm ups or warm downs, slight variations on themes better addressed at length. Not so for Ferris. Dynamic with speed, yet rich with novelistic density, his stories make The Dinner Party a full-fledged feast."—Will Blythe, New York Times Book Review

"Plenty of novels, memoirs and cultural studies have explored the end of men or the failings of masculinity. But Ferris, a darkly comic writer who feels like the novelist equivalent of the filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen, has managed to write a series of stories on the subject that feels fresh. His male characters mess up, in small and spectacular fashion, but their misdeeds often prompt our sympathy, thanks to Ferris's insightful narration."—Ian Shapira, The Washington Post

"Ferris finesses the line between tragedy and comedy, and his sly wit often surfaces in sarcastic, offbeat ways...The Dinner Party provides a fine showcase for his work."—Heller McAlpin, NPR.org

"Ferris is an incisive observer, and his descriptions of even the most quotidian situations are elegant and fresh."
Eliot Schrefer, USA Today

"Everything comes mordantly alive in the priceless imagination of Ferris....His perverse short narratives do not disappoint."—Janet Maslin, New York Times, Books to Breeze Through This Summer

"Observational and piercing, Ferris's short stories expose how fraught and emotionally explosive the search for connection with other human beings can be."—Angela Ledgerwood, Esquire, 20 Best Books of 2017 (so far)

"The Dinner Party is a collection of stories about quiet, domestic chaos... I love it. The titular story finds a couple awaiting the arrival of dinner guests who never materialize.... equal parts Cheever and Carver....a strong set of stories about infidelity, jealousy, and neurotic insecurity."—Kevin Nguyen, GQ, Best Books You'll Read In May

"This collection hits the sweet spot between character realism and existentially wry musings on modern life... In the past, Mr. Ferris has drawn favorable comparisons with Jonathan Franzen, but this collection shows Mr. Ferris as the funnier of the two. None of Mr. Franzen's novels has been as light or enjoyable to read."
Nathan Pensky, The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette